Tag Archives: simeone

Atletico open door for Torres return while Chelsea given encouragement over Falcao

By
Rik Sharma

PUBLISHED:

12:45 GMT, 23 March 2013

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UPDATED:

13:00 GMT, 23 March 2013

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has opened the door for Fernando Torres to return to his former side.

The Chelsea striker made his name in Spain before moving to Liverpool in 2007.

Simeone says he knows how important Torres can be for his side and that because of his roots he knows about what it means to play for Los Rojiblancos.

Struggle: Fernando Torres has not been able to find his feet at Chelsea

He told Spanish radio station Onda
Cero: 'Fernando Torres is currently playing for another team. We have to
wait for the season to finish and decide which of the available players
could come here and do a good job.

'Fernando knows about the club's history, what it means to play here and I don't need to speak about his ability.

'We were teammates. I know how important he can be.'

Chelsea want Atletico's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao as a replacement. He has scored 25 goals in 28 games for his club this season, including a hat-trick against the Blues in the Super Cup final.

He can be procured for 48million but the Blues would be interested in a part-exchange deal involving Torres.

When asked about Falcao's future, Simeone did not insist the player would be staying at the club.Instead he reasoned that everybody makes their own decisions and Falcao deserves respect.

Simeone said: 'I'm not Falcao and I'm not his agent. I'm the manager and have the utmost respect for him, because he gave me so much at River Plate and has done the same here.

'He always gives his all and I really respect players who do that. But everyone makes their own decisions in life.

'Every person is different, and we have to respect each other. Those who stay are always going to be the best.'

Can't stop: Radamel Falcao is in absolutely lethal form for club and country

Frank: Diego Simeone said that Torres knows the club and he would be an important player

Real Madrid extended their lead at
the top of the Primera Division to six points with a comfortable win
over Granada on Saturday.

Madrid looked in for a testing
evening when Mikel Rico (22) cancelled out Karim Benzema's 19th-minute
opener to reward the visitors for an encouraging performance.

On target: Cristiano Ronaldo scored again

But Sergio Ramos headed Jose Mourinho's side back in front on 34 minutes and the game was over as a contest when Gonzalo Higuain and Benzema scored within five minutes of the start of the second period.

Cristiano Ronaldo then added further gloss to the scoreline with the fifth goal two minutes from time as Madrid extended their lead over second-placed Barcelona, who play Espanyol on Sunday.

Elsewhere, goals were in considerably shorter supply with just one scored in the day's other four games.

Manolo Jimenez made a losing start to
his tenure as Real Zaragoza coach as Racing Santander inflicted a narrow
defeat on the Primera Division strugglers.

Hit man: Karim Benzema scores against Granada

Jimenez took over a side rock bottom of the table after the departure from the hotseat of Javier Aguirre, four points behind 19th-placed Racing and five adrift of safety.

Yet it was Racing who gave themselves a shot in the arm at El Sardinero as Bernardo Espinosa's header in first-half injury-time proved enough to earn a welcome victory.

The games between Levante and Real Mallorca, Real Sociedad and Osasuna and Malaga and Atletico Madrid – for whom Diego Simeone was making his debut in the hotseat – all ended goalless.